· 9 June 2025, 21:00
**Alan Shearer may have lifted a Premier League title, but he wasn't able to do so with his beloved Newcastle United, despite being part of the side that should have had the best chance to do so.**
The season before Shearer's world-record-breaking move home to Tyneside, Newcastle had blown a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League, finishing second to Manchester United.
Signing Alan Shearer for £15 million in the off-season had many people believing he'd be the difference maker and that Newcastle would go one step further the next season.
Unfortunately, that never happened, and Newcastle had to wait until 2025 to end their trophy drought.
Alan Shearer couldn't repeat his Premier League title win for Newcastle
Alan Shearer believes Newcastle are two top signings away from Premier League glory
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Now the former No. 9 has told The Mirror that he believes Newcastle are just a couple of big signings away from lifting that Premier League trophy when he was asked if Eddie Howe's side have a better chance to take that next step than when he joined.
> “I think they have. That team was a really good one but this one has done something we couldn’t do, something Sir Bobby Robson couldn’t do, which Kevin Keegan couldn’t do.“And Eddie Howe has had to do it the hard way. They won the Carabao Cup, beating the big boys who were all top four or five in the table – Forest, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
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> “Can they challenge for the title? They have the opportunity by signing the right players. By August if they bring in two of three big hitters, then they will be in a better position.”
Newcastle don't need to sign world-class players because Eddie Howe can make world-class players
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Newcastle are looking for four quality first-team signings: a goalkeeper, a central defender, a right winger and a centre forward, and if two of those are top-quality, borderline world-class signings, then the Magpies will feel well equipped to challenge for the title.
Eddie Howe is unparalleled when it comes to getting players to play beyond their potential, so we don't need to sign Kylian Mbappe; we just need someone like João Pedro and a sprinkle of Eddie Howe magic.
It still feels a bit too soon to be talking about title challenges, but after lifting the Carabao Cup this season, it feels closer than ever.